Kisner atop crowded leaderboard at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – News and notes from Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship where Kevin Kisner owns the early lead at 8 under after shooting his second straight 67. For more coverage from Quail Hollow, see the Daily Wrap-up. KISNER KEEPS UP Kisner hasn’t strayed far from his roots. He was born and raised in Aiken, S.C., and when it came time to strike out on his own, Kisner decided the heart – and the pocketbook – was home. “I was playing the mini-tours, and I was broke,â€� he recalled. “That’s the only place I could afford to buy a house.â€� Truth be told, though, it was more than financial considerations that kept Kisner in Aiken. He feels comfortable there, and his friends are his friends regardless of what he shoots. They like to get out of cell phone range and relax, fishing and hunting and taking target practice. “I love my core group of friends at home that they don’t ask me why I made bogey on the last hole that cost me 20 grand or anything like that,â€� Kisner said. “That’s why I hang out with them.â€� And Kisner also has ties to Charlotte, which is about two hours north of Aiken. His parents grew up here and his 93-year-old grandmother still lives on her own in the Queen City. “I’ve spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas in Charlotte from childhood to marriage,â€� Kisner said. Quail Hollow figures into the family equation, too. His brother-in-law’s father is a founding member of the exclusive club that not only is hosting the PGA this week but also is slated as the venue for the 2021 Presidents Cup. So, it’s pretty cool that Kisner is leading the PGA after his second straight 67. And you can bet the guys he calls “good dudesâ€� will show up in force this weekend. Kisner really likes the golf course, and he came up to check out the changes about a month ago. The rainy, wet conditions that day left him wary. Kisner’s a shotmaker, not a bomber, after all. “I said, man, this place is going to be so long; I don’t know how they are going to compete,â€� he said. “But it’s been drying out and my tee balls are getting some roll and I’m hitting a lot less irons into the greens than I expected. If I can get a 6- or 7-iron in my hand, I like my chances around here.â€� Kisner won the DEAN & DELUCA Invitational earlier this year, grabbing the 36-hole lead, as he did Friday, and gutting out his second PGA TOUR win. This is Kisner’s 12th major championship, and his best finish is a tie for 12th at the 2015 U.S. Open. “I’ve been upset with how I’ve played in the majors so far in my career,â€� Kisner said. “I feel like I have the game to compete in majors and tons of 30th to 40th, 50th-place finishes. That’s kind of been our goal for the year. We haven’t played well in them yet this year but every year you learn more about the majors and how to approach them.

“… This is probably the easiest one I’ve had to prep for because I know the golf course so well and I’ve been up here a lot. I feel real comfortable here and I really like the golf course.â€� MCILROY FEELING COMFORTABLE Many people expected Rory McIlroy to be in the hunt at the PGA Championship, which counts for two of the Northern Irishman’s four majors and 13 total PGA TOUR wins. After all, McIlroy already has two victories at Quail Hollow. He appears finally recovered from some niggling injuries and is coming off a tie for fourth at The Open Championship and joint fifth at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, too. But the 28-year-old fired his second straight 72 on Friday – and McIlroy had to birdie the last two holes after four front-nine bogeys to get there. He’s 2 over for the tournament, which is a distant 10 strokes behind Kisner, but he still signed his scorecard with positive vibes. “As everyone says, there’s no winning post there,â€� McIlroy said. “There’s still 36 holes to go and a lot of golf to be played. As I said, I still feel I’m right there in the tournament.â€� McIlroy owns the course record of 61 at Quail Hollow. He shot that in the third round of his 2015 victory. McIlroy also closed with a 62 in 2010 when he made the cut on the number and went on to win his first PGA TOUR event. “I guess a low round used to be a 61 or a 62,â€� McIlroy said. “A low round now is a 66 or a 67. You’re playing your ass off to get that. “I’d say, if I shoot two 67s over the weekend, I’m going to have a really good chance.â€�

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